This Thanksgiving the Pierce Township Police Department will be joining in a national effort to send Thanksgiving travelers an important lifesaving reminder to Buckle Up–Every Tri,. Every Time.

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year, and more people on the road increases the likelihood of a crash. During the 2014 Thanksgiving weekend alone, 341 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes nationwide, and 50 percent were not their wearing seat belts at the time of the fatal crash. And for those Thanksgiving weekend crashes that occurred at night, the percentage of unbuckled occupants killed jumped to an unsettling 58 percent.

The national Buckle Up—Every Trip. Every Time. seat belt awareness campaign helps remind Thanksgiving travelers and all drivers about the importance of buckling up–every trip, every time.

In 2014, 53 percent of the males killed in crashes were not buckled up at the time of the crash, compared to 40 percent of females. And 13- to 15-year-olds and 25- to 34-year-olds had the highest percentages (59%) of occupants killed who were not wearing their seat belts at the time of the fatal crash.

“Our participation in this blitz is part of our 2016 Traffic Safety Program and will involve officers using grant monies to fund officers patrolling for aggressive and intoxicated driving on the township roads this holiday,” Chief Jeff Bachman said.